Lorelai
by Lisa J Lisa J
Summary: What happens to a girl who has to uproot and move to a new home? Especially when that new home is Angel Grove? Read about her past as a child, and read about her present and her future with the teens of Angel Grove High. Timeline: MMPR through Turbo.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"C'mon, honey! You can do it! Just keep --- just…keep…"

Feeling light-headed, Emmett Jackson collapsed onto the floor. The long, arduous hours in the delivery room finally got the best of him.

"Don't worry about him, Erica. You're almost there!" said the obstetrician. A nurse tended to Emmett. She raised his feet, turned his head to the right side, and added a cold compress to his head. _He'll be all right_, she thought. _But will Erica? What am I saying? Of course she'll be all right._ The nurse quickly snapped out of her thoughts as she whipped around to the sound of the mother's screams.

"One more. Only one more!" the obstetrician encouraged.

"I…can't," Erica panted.

"That girl needs her sister. Look at her!"

Erica glanced over by the two other nurses who were cleaning up the first twin. The child was unusually peaceful. The most traumatizing experience a newborn endures, and the child was quietly sucking on her gums. A tear rolled down the mother's cheek, but Erica's competitiveness soon took over. "Let's go."

Five hours. On the 14th minute, the sister plopped out and wailed her head off. Emmett, now in a wheelchair, had the honors of cutting the umbilical cord. The second twin wailed even louder.

"That girl has some pipes on her," the nurse joked to the new parents.

"She gets it from her mother," Emmett replied. "OW!"

"With all these hormones, I still can pack a punch," Erica reminded him.

"What about the names?" the nurse asked.

Ever since they found out that they were having twins, the couple decided that one would name one child and one would name the other. That agreement was far gone in the wind.

"What are you gonna name them, hon'?" Emmett asked.

"But…I thought we decided –"

Emmett stroked his wife's tangled hair. His hazel eyes looked into hers and he smiled for the first time in the delivery room. He brought his lips to her head and asked reassuringly, "What are you gonna name them?"

Erica chuckled. "Well, I did have two names in mind."

She paused as one of the nurses brought the first twin to the couple. Erica passed her to the father as she continued, "This little one shall be Lia." As she, her husband, and the nurse who tended to Emmett all gazed at little Lia, they flinched at an ear-piercing outburst. Two nurses were bringing the second twin toward other side of the delivery room, arguing quietly about which one was improperly handling the baby. They straightened up when they approached Erica's bed.

"It wasn't my fault, Mrs. Jackson. Honest!" said one nurse, handing the baby to the mother. "I guess this one's a fussy little thing."

The other nurse jabbed the first one with her elbow. "What she meant was that the baby sounds as healthy as ever," the second nurse replied quietly.

The second twin cried louder and louder and the two nurses scurried out of the room. Erica cradled the child and grinned. "And this one shall be Lorelai." Lorelai looked up at her mother, and quieted down. Erica went to kiss her new daughter and Lorelai screamed right in her ear.

"Melia, I think these two need their rest," Erica said to the nurse. Rubbing her ringing ears, Amelia agreed and took Lia and Lorelai to the nursery.

After giving both some formula, Amelia rested both down: Lia falling fast asleep and Lorelai crying her infant opera. She sighed and picked up Lorelai once again, resting the newborn's head on her shoulder.

"Come on, mama. Not tonight. Not…tonight," she begged the red-faced child. She began to pace with the child but stopped, as she didn't want to wake the other babies. On the other side of the glass viewing the nursery, an older man stared at little Lorelai. He raised his hand to the glass, and the baby ceased her wails. Amelia gave a sigh of relief as she laid Lorelai to sleep. "¡Gracias, Señor! Thank you, Lord," she whispered to herself, then exited the room.

The older man still stood there watching Lorelai in her slumber. Not once did his eyes blink at the child's sight. Calm. Serene. Still.

"She's the one."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Ma! Ma! Guess what?"

14-year-old Lorelai ran into the house looking for her mother. "MA! Where are you?" she yelled.

"I'm in the kitchen!" her mother yelled back.

As Erica was preparing the potatoes for boiling, Lorelai ran into the kitchen and almost knocked her mother over.

"And what did I tell you about shoes in the house!"

"Sorry, sorry. But I got the hottest news to tell ya!" Lorelai replied, jumping around to take off her sneakers. "You are looking at the newest lead dancer of Manhattan High's dance team! Tell me that ain't hot!"

"Lori…"

"The last girl broke her ankle in two places. Feel sorry for her, but hey, can't feel sorry forever!"

"Lori."

"And do you know what this means?" Lorelai asked as she paced back and forth in the kitchen. "I'm the first freshman ever to dance the lead. Me!" She does a high kick, landing in a tiger stance. "That's off da hook!"

"Lori!"

Lorelai, startled by her mother's response, asked "Wa? What happened?"

Erica sighed. She didn't want to give her daughter the news. _Not right before her favorite meal_, she thought. "Look, honey! I'm making your favorite meal: Mashed potatoes and barbequed lamb chops with a side of corn-on-the-cob. And for dessert—"

"Wait. My favorite meal AND dessert too!" Lorelai paused. "Who died?"

Erica chuckled. "No one died, sweetheart."

"Mom, what's going on?"

_Why did she have to call me 'Mom?'_ Erica sighed and said, "You can't take the role."

Lorelai laughed. "Maybe I'm not hearing right, but I thought you said I can't take the role. That ain't what you said, right?"

The mother looked at her daughter as Lorelai was laughing so hard; she was on the verge of tears. Erica dug her feet as far deep into the ground as she could.

"I didn't want to tell you this before dinner, but I guess I have no choice." Erica took a deep breath and exhaled. "We're moving."

"To another borough?"

Erica was silent.

"Upstate? White Plains? Yonkers?"

Erica was silent.

Lorelai grunted. "Jersey?" she said sarcastically.

"California."

Lorelai's jaw fell. _The place where the ground moves_, she thought_. The place where they die without driving. The place where…the valley-girls live._ New York City was her beloved. She breathed the air that the empanadas left lingering, and the fresh fish of Chinatown. In Times Square, her and her friends would play "Point out the Tourists," and bonus points for the one who can spot a family reunion by their matching t-shirts.

She often boasted about her diverse friends. "I have my own UN up in here," she always said. _But that's long gone now. Long gone._

She looked at her mother, tears welling up. "Why?"

"Well, I finally found a job, honey! Nothing was popping up here, and Angel Grove Hospital is giving me the position of Head RN."

"Angel what?"

Erica went into the closet beside the refrigerator and took out the brochures of Angel Grove. "See how beautiful the place is?" Erica flipped out the Angel Grove Housing brochure. "And that's our new home. An actual house, sweety!"

Lorelai wasn't impressed. Living in a house instead of an apartment meant more crap to clean, and what about transportation? _There are no subways in California. What kinda place is that!_

"I'll finish up these potatoes. You sit down and take a look at those brochures," Erica said. She looked at her daughter at the dining table, defeated as ever. Erica sighed.

"I'm really sorry about all this, especially right in the middle of your first year. But there's nothing –"

"You don't have to explain. I understand," Lorelai replied with her head hung low. Erica stared at her sullen daughter. With her stomach in knots and a gigantic lump in her throat, she could hardly focus on preparing dinner. New York was her home as well. It wasn't going to be easy for the both of them. _Not easy at all._

The disheartened teen glanced at one of the brochures. Two, gleeful blondes were swimming in a lake. She rolled her eyes. _Cali-foney-a_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Padded blue mats in one corner. A play area filled of dolls, cars, and legos in another. Colorful bulletin boards covered the walls. Two rows of miniature desks, with wooden desktops and metal bases, faced the blackboard in a semi-circle towards the delightful Ms. Cammoratta. Small in stature, but filled with more energy than any 4-year-old.

Lorelai couldn't wait to start class each day. The mornings usually started off with the children sitting in a semi-circle on the floor singing various educational songs. Lorelai never wanted to leave from that spot. Swinging her cornrowed head, she enjoyed learning new songs quickly and loudly.

Pre-Kindergarten didn't always look so pleasant to Lorelai. Her first day entailed massive whining and crying.

"You're a big girl now," her mother said. With her head buried into the mother's thigh, Lorelai sniffled, "Nah uh!"

"Look at how the rest of the children are having fun." Erica paused to take a quick survey of the room. Her eyes lit up. "Look, honey! Who do you see over there?"

Erica pointed to a little, dark-haired boy playing with racecars. The sniffling child turned around to look. She wiped her eyes and ran in his direction, tapping on the boy's shoulder with a big grin.

"Lori!" the boy exclaimed.

"Hey Stevie! You know I like that purple car. Give it!" She reached out to grab the car, but missed.

"What's the password?" Stevie asked.

"NOW!" Lorelai said and quickly retrieved the car. Both children laughed heartily.

Ever since the second day of school, Lorelai hadn't had a teary eye. Until today.

During the morning sing-along, Lorelai often looked over to Stevie for a giggle, but he hardly opened his mouth that Friday morning. His face was blank and his attention was everywhere else, especially away from his best friend. After the singing, the children sat at their desks, and Ms. Cammoratta was preparing the next lesson. Lorelai took the opportunity to ask Stevie what was wrong.

"Nothing. I'm good."

"You don't look good."

Stevie would not look Lorelai in the eye. His lip quivered and finally mustered out a response. "I can't tell you now. Later."

"You look like you're gonna cry. If you get it out now – "

"Do I have to split you two up today?" their teacher asked.

"No Ms. C," both replied.

"All right. So let's cut the chatter and get on with our lucky numbers today! Lucky numbers 6…7…8…9…and 10!"

_What's wrong with my buddy?_ Lorelai thought. _Was it Belly? Did he do somethin' to Stevie?_

It was a beautiful spring day. Ms. Cammoratta took her students outside to have a picnic lunch in the neighboring park. After finishing their various sandwiches, the kids ventured off to different areas: some played hopscotch, some by the swings, and some in the sandbox. Lorelai shoved Stevie under the big oak tree.

"So?" she asked.

Stevie looked down and kicked a patch of grass a few times. He was blinking to prevent his eyes from watering up, but to no avail. A teardrop fell on the end of Lorelai's purple and white sneaker.

"I'm gonna be away for a long time," he said in a low tone.

"Why?"

Stevie sighed, still looking down. "My mom and dad are giving me up for adup-…adap-…ad-doption."

"A-wa?"

"It's when they don't love you no more, so they give you away."

Lorelai froze, couldn't say a word. She felt little beads of sweat trickle down her back. Then her legs were trembling, covered in goosebumps. As she rubbed her arms for warmth, she stuttered, "Um…y-you can st-still be in Ms. C's class. You c-can still g-go he-here and…" Lorelai's knees buckled and fell upon the grass. Quietly sobbing, she thought of the many times they played _What's the password?_ and the many lessons between them: Stevie would teach her how to do a roundhouse kick and Lorelai would teach him how to dance like Michael Jackson. Both may not have been successful in each lesson, but that didn't matter. For the rest of the lunch hour, the two friends sat silently under the tree.

- - - - - - - - - -

Eyes blinking rapidly at the clock, Lorelai couldn't focus in Introduction to Literature. She wiped a tear that almost fleeted from her right eye, but her left eye got the best of her. Two tears fell onto her notebook. As she looked for a tissue in her bookbag, the final bell rang.

"And remember Monday's quiz on pages 65 to 119," Mr. Dourodusker projected over the bustling students. Lorelai slowly packed her bag and walked towards the door when her teacher said, "And Ms. Jackson, I hope you'll be with us next class?"

"Sorry, Mr. D. I just have a lot of …um…stuff on my mind," Lorelai replied sullenly. Mr. Dourodusker, while stern with his students and fervent for literature, has a soft side for his hard-working pupils. He reached into his pocket for a pack of tissue and handed one to Lorelai.

"Anything in particular?" he asked. Lorelai took the piece of tissue and stared at it for a moment. _I could try it out on Mr. D first. Then I won't look like a baby in front of the coach. All right, go!_

"I'm moving to California!" she blurted out. _Dang, girl! Take your time. He ain't goin' nowhere._ "My mom got a job out in Angel Grove, so we're moving out there in a few weeks. But I don't know nobody…I mean, I don't know anybody. And the place is packed with valley girls and surfer dudes…and I just got the lead position on the dance team…and now everything I did here will be gone!"

Breathing heavily, Lorelai took a seat. Arms, legs, and lips were all trembling. "I-I hate it there. Don't care w-where th-there is, it ain't here." Mr. Dourodusker glared at her.

"Isn't here!" she corrected herself.

The teacher shook his head and chuckled while kneeling down to her seat. "You work hard. You work hard in your dancing. You work hard in your singing –"

Lorelai gave him a puzzled look.

"I can hear you down the hall after every class," he replied. "And you work hard in this class. I can't imagine you giving up."

"Who says I'm giving up!"

"Two choices. You can cry and wallow in grief." Mr. Dourodusker got up and walked behind his desk, leaning his hands upon the desktop. "Or you can show Angel Grove what we've got here in New York."

Lorelai rose from her seat and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Ok, ok. You have a point. I still hate moving. Still think this is the worst thing ever but –" She paused. "Thanks for hearin' me out."

The teacher nodded. "I'll see you Monday, Lorelai."

Lorelai walked out of the classroom and down the hall to her locker. There, she met up with Katie, one of the girls on the high school dance team as well.

"Are you ready?" Katie asked.

"Well, I had a run-through with Mr. D. I should be better second time around," Lorelai answered.

After collecting their belongings from the lockers, both girls headed down to the gym. As Katie went to the locker room, Lorelai waited on the gym bleachers for the coach. Twenty minutes passed and the teammates were all gathered in the gym doing stretches, but no coach. Katie finished stretching and ran over to Lorelai.

"Where could she be?" Katie inquired.

"You askin' me?" Lorelai fired back.

Katie sighed. "I'm just saying that it's unlike her to be late."

"And I'm saying that now I have to tell her in front of everyone."

"It might not be so bad."

Lorelai gave a sharp look to her friend. "Half of these chicas want my head on a platter, and the other half want servings. Screw crime, they wanna take a bite outta Lor!"

Both paused then laughed simultaneously. Just then, Mrs. Kuchagin walked into the gym and apologized for her lateness. "Some kid wanted to give me lip and the end of class, so I gave him a trip to the Dean's office," the coach joked. As Mrs. Kuchagin instructed the girls to start warm-ups, Lorelai sauntered to the coach and privately delivered the news. _Hope I can just walk outta here without some big announcement._

"Girls! Listen up!" Mrs. Kuchagin said while clapping for attention.

_Aww crap!_

"Unfortunately, Lorelai will not be with us anymore. Her family is moving out west and we wish her the best of luck! With that said, I'll be picking a new lead next Wednesday. No auditions. I know who you are already!"

Lorelai stared at the teammates faces: a lot of them whispering, some giggling, and some just outright excited that a new lead was to be chosen. Lorelai quickly changed from sadness and nervousness to anger. Her eyes squinted and her lips pursed together. The coach turned to her and said, "Keep in touch, will ya? Lemme know how you're doing out there."

Lorelai nodded and hugged her coach. She gave one final glare and her old team and strutted out of the gym, still hearing the laughter. _Heifers._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What! They're just…gone?"

"That's what I'm telling you! Coming out of the bank, I noticed their car parked outside pack with stuff, like they were moving. Saw his mom in the passenger's seat, so I went up to say 'Hi.' She seemed… ¡ay qué¿Cómo se dice?…distant! And anxious too, like she was in a hurry to get outta there."

Monday afternoon at Mount Sinai Hospital, Erica and Amelia were chatting in the employee's lounge on their lunch break. Amelia was telling Erica about her encounter with Stevie's parents Sunday afternoon, his mother in particular. She learned about how they gave up, not one, but two sons for adoption.

"Why didn't she come to me? I could have taken care of Stevie while they got back on their feet," Erica inquired. _Were they ever "off" their feet?_

"I'm telling you, she cried like un bebe sin leche. They gave up the older son not too long ago, but then she got pregnant again with Stevie. She felt so guilty. The father was against giving him up but –"

"So they're gone?"

"¡Se fueran! After her husband came out of the bank, he jumped in the car and they were off. Gone."

_That's why Lori's been so down all weekend, _Erica thought. "Poor child."

Then Amelia perked up. "So me and Frank have talked it over, and we want to adopt little Stevie!"

A huge smile came across her, and it was contagious. Erica embraced Amelia with exuberance. Her friend was getting the one thing she has always wanted: a child.

Five years ago, Amelia was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Disease, and enlargement of the ovaries that can result in infertility. What was worse was just after being diagnosed, Erica became pregnant. An irregular appetite and sleep deprivation sent Amelia back to the hospital. Afraid to visit her friend, Erica passed by Amelia's room often. On one occasion, she overheard Amelia's conversation with her husband, ending off with, "I can't even give my parents a grandchild. ¿Una mujer? What kinda woman am I?"

"The woman who needs to get well to be my child's godmother," Erica busted in. She stood there awkwardly at the foot of the bed, wondering if her risk was worth it. Amelia peered at her, then at her husband, and then closed her eyes. Erica hadn't known how Amelia felt about her proposition until she wheeled Amelia out to the parking lot two days later.

"¡Ay Dios mio! These things are uncomfortable!" Amelia exclaimed.

"You know the drill. Standard procedure…for everyone!" Erica replied jovially.

Just before Amelia got into the car, she turned around to say "Thank you" and gave her friend a warm hug.

"For?" Erica asked.

"For not feeling sorry for me when everyone else was," Amelia replied.

Erica smiled and they hugged again. Over Amelia's shoulder, Erica told Frank, "Take care of her, ok? Make lots of arróz con pollo!"

Erica thought back to those days at the hospital and felt exceedingly joyous for Amelia. "Do you know where he is?" she asked.

"It's only been a couple of days," Amelia replied. "Can't be too far."

- - - - - - - - - -

Lying in bed, Lorelai stared at the phone. She never wanted the phone to ring as much as she did today. She looked at the object so long that the delusion of two dancing phones gave her a headache. _Rest. eyes. now. I need to –_

Interrupting her thoughts, the phone rang and Lorelai grabbed the receiver.

"Katie?" Lorelai asked.

"Of course!" Katie responded.

After the dreadful announcement at dance rehearsal, Lorelai couldn't wait to hear what her "teammates" were saying behind her back.

"I've got nothing. They don't talk to me much anymore. I guess they saw us being too friendly by the bleachers today," Katie explained.

Lorelai felt badly. It was one thing for the girls to give Lorelai a hard time. She could handle her own. Katie, on the other hand, didn't like confrontation. Kids at school often wondered how two complete opposites got to be the best of friends. The tall, fair-skinned, quiet girl saw a deeper, truer quality beyond Lorelai's hard exterior: loyalty. She often observed the friendship between Lorelai and Stevie, and wished for a friend like her.

"So then you clocked him right in the gut, and I got my glue back," Katie said.

"Belly was somethin' else! He'd eat anything from anyone. Heck, he'd eat anyone!" Lorelai said. Both girls laughed.

"What would I do without you?" Katie asked.

"Umm…be without glue?" Lorelai joked.

"Ha ha. No, seriously. I mean, if Stevie hadn't moved –"

"Can we change the subject, please?" Lorelai asked agitatedly.

"Sorry."

Lorelai hadn't seen Stevie since elementary school. When he moved, she and Katie became the new partners-in-crime. To this day, his name cannot be mentioned without inducing dead silence.

"So yeah, this California thing kinda sucks, huh?" Katie asked.

Silence.

"I mean, they don't even have a subway? That's awful!" Katie continued.

Silence.

"Lor? Are you there?"

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Lorelai asked solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"Same way Stevie left, same way I'm leaving."

Katie couldn't believe that an actual "Stevie" conversation was continued. "Wait. Where did he move to?"

"I dunno, somewhere in Califor –" Lorelai stopped short. Her eyes grew wide at the realization.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Katie questioned.

"Cali is a big state, K. He could be anywhere."

"But can't you find him easily? Especially someone like yourself?"

"K, we've been over this. It's not that –"

A beeping noise interrupted Lorelai because of another call. Katie held on the line until Lorelai returned.

"Hello?"

"Is that my shining star?" her father asked.

"Hey Dad! Look, hold on one sec, k?" She went back to Katie to let her know that she'll see her tomorrow, then switched back to her father.

"Hey! Haven't talked to you since forever," Lorelai told her father.

"I know, I know. Things got busier than that should have. But all of that will change very soon. Where's your mother?"

"She's…um…in the kitchen," Lorelai answered reluctantly.

"I would love to talk to you longer, but it's imperative that I speak with your mom. Still love you!"

"Love you too," his daughter replied inaudibly.

She opened her bedroom door and yelled to her mother that Dad was on the phone. Erica picked up the phone and continued washing dishes. "Hi Emmett. I was just about to call you."

"Call me? About what?" he asked.

"Well, we're all set. Just closed the deal on the house in Angel Grove and we'll be there in just a couple of weeks."

Emmett paused. "Why didn't you tell me you were buying a house?"

His wife grew angry. "We've been over these plans for the past nine…ten months, and now you're surprised?"

"We threw around ideas, but nothing permanent."

"You mean nothing permanent for you!" she yelled.

Lorelai was only an infant when her father moved out. Her parents' biggest disagreement? Work versus family. Emmett scored a promotion at Grable & Seaver, one of the largest advertisement agencies in the world, but it meant longer hours and relocating to Atlanta, Georgia. Erica felt it wasn't necessary for Emmett to take the promotion.

"I need you home more, not less!" she argued.

"How are we going to eat?" he yelled.

"With our mouths!" she yelled back.

The arguments only got worse. They finally decided it was best for Emmett to go Atlanta while Erica stayed in New York with the girls. The mother struggled for a couple of months balancing work and the children, but got her bearings once she was used to her husband being away. Then the phone call.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"All right. You?"

"Miserable. It's not the same without the children."

_Something's up._ Erica grew impatient. "What are you saying?"

"I'd like for one of the girls to be with me down here."

Erica froze. Her mind raced a mile a minute, but couldn't phrase any of her thoughts. Her body tensed up.

"Fine," she complied under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"I'll travel with Lia," she responded audibly. "You wouldn't be able to handle Lori. She cries all hours of the night and you sleep like some hibernating bear."

Ever since the division, Emmett and little Lia have been in Atlanta, Houston, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles for the past 13 years. They've recently resided in Angel Grove for a little over a year. Until now.

"Where to next, Emmett? Alaska?" Erica barked at her husband.

"No, it's not like that at all. I just wished you had told me sooner about the house and all –"

"Why!"

"Hon', they're making me VP of International Marketing! I was gonna surprise you over there with Lia –"

"Wait! You're moving back to New York?"

"Not really moving. More like relocating temporarily –"

"Stop playing games! Are you living in Angel Grove?"

"Yes. But not for long."

Erica was infuriated. _Does he not know he has a family?_ She sighed and calmly said, "We'll be out there in two weeks. I'll give you a call back with our flight information. I can't talk to you about this right now."

She hung up the phone without giving Emmett time to respond. Erica was so frustrated; she broke two glasses and a plate during the conversation. Lorelai peeped into the kitchen.

"Yes, Lori?" Erica inquired sternly.

Lorelai hugged her mother from behind, then kissed her on the cheek.

"What's that for?" her mother asked.

"I now know the reason why we're moving," Lorelai answered.

Erica turned around and her eyes widened with shock. "You do?'

"Yeah! You want to get back with Dad."

"I do?"

"Hello? The recent calls? Him being in California? Then we're moving to California? Top it of with the yelling and broken dishes, and you've got the mating call of the Jacksons!"

"Right!" Erica exclaimed, then shook her head with a smile. "Can't fool you! I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Still hate moving, but if it means getting us back together…I guess Angel Grove isn't so bad…I guess."

Erica kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I'm proud of you. Now get to bed!"

"Mom! It's Friday. Y'know, 'on the phone with Katie 'til we both fall asleep' night?"

She winked at her mom and Erica tapped her daughter on the bottom. Lorelai laughed at ran upstairs. Erica parted a small smile. _Dear Lord, please let that laughter be with Lori throughout this arduous time, and please help me not beat the crap out of my husband._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Children love nicknames. Whether your name was too long to pronounce, too common, or you have a prominent feature, children will find an alternative name.

Ms, Cammoratta's class was no different. Names like "Cammoratta" and "Lorelai" were too lengthy, therefore shortened to "Ms. C" and "Lor." If you had a very common first name, there were many other options. Especially for the boys, they'd use their last names as a good source for a new name: "Stevie" derives from his last name "Stevens." And then there was Belly.

Shoulder-length dark hair, fair, sunburned skin, and beady eyes made up this 120-pound terror. Innocent in the classroom, but once lunch hour began, children 7-years-old and under hoped that this rotund boy never crossed their paths. In fact, kids were afraid to call him "Belly" until Lorelai called him the name in an argument back in Pre-Kindergarten.

"What did you call me? Belly said angrily.

"You deaf? I said 'Belly' Tortelli'?" Lorelai retorted.

Belly was about to shove her further into the play area when Lorelai kicked him in the pelvic region. Belly bent over in pain and fell to the floor. The noise of Belly thumping to the ground caught Ms. Cammoratta's attention.

"Lorelai, what happened to Tommy?" the teacher asked.

"He fell on that corner," she responded while pointing to the corner of the 2-feet high bookcase for toys. Belly was about to rebut when Lorelai gave him a hard stare, reminding him that he started the fight.

Ever since that incident, Tommy was proud of his nickname, rubbing his belly many times a day to put fear in the other children. Kids would know they were in for trouble. Little did they know that today was the last they'd see "the rub."

It was lunchtime, and the kids were getting their food in the cafeteria. The room was filled with children sitting at long, white lunch tables. Lorelai and Stevie were heading to the lunch table designated for their class when Lorelai noticed Stevie looking in Katie's direction.

"So go sit wit' her," Lorelai suggested.

"Huh, what?" Stevie asked, coming out of his daze.

"You have the biggest crush on her. It's cute."

"Do not!"

Katie and another girl got up from their seats and walked passed the two. Stevie's head slowly turned and watched. Both girls giggled and then Lorelai waved her hand in front of his face.

"What?" Stevie asked.

Lorelai stared at her blushing friend while they placed they trays on the table. All of a sudden, Belly came behind Stevie and spun him around.

"Stop lookin' at my girl!" Belly growled.

"What are ya talkin' about?" asked Stevie.

"Don't play dumb. Katie's mine!" Belly shoved Stevie, then moved in closer. "Losers don't look at her."

Lorelai stepped in front of Stevie, right in the bully's face. "She ain't yours, so back off!"

Stevie pulled her back and said, "Don't worry about it. Let's go."

"Why don't you mind ya business?" Belly yelled at Lorelai.

"Make me!" she yelled back.

Rub, rub, rub, PUSH! Lorelai and Stevie were knocked down by Belly's brute force. Her head on the hard cafeteria floor, Lorelai's chin was bruised and started to trickle blood. She knitted her forehead and braced herself up on her feet.

"Lorelai, just walk away! Remember what we learned –"

"I learned a good defense is a good offense," Lorelai interrupted Stevie.

She glared at the reddened troublemaker. Breathing heavily, her hands tightened into fists. _Knock down the blubber_, she thought. Then she charged head first into Belly's stomach. His back hit hard on the cafeteria table, but he bounced off and over the table, bounced high off the floor, and ricocheted between two tables. He finally landed on the floor and kids from various classes rushed to surround the ailing boy. Mrs. Greyez, their 2nd grade teacher, hurried over to Belly, instructing him not to move. "What happened, Tommy?"

Belly slowly turned his head in Lorelai's direction. Lorelai was still stunned by his strange, yet powerful traversal like a rubber ball. Mrs. Greyez motioned to another teacher to tend to Belly, and she walked over to Lorelai while telling the other children to be seated. The teacher was about to scorn her for getting into another fight with Belly when she noticed the child's bleeding chin. She quickly yanked Lorelai over to the bathroom, with the first aid kit in hand, and cleaned her up.

"You've got to stop fighting with these boys."

"Well these boys gotta stop fighting with me. I didn't do anything," Lorelai said in defense.

Her teacher sighed, then rested her hands on Lorelai's shoulders while knelt down.

"One of these days, you or Tommy or anyone else you fight with can get seriously hurt. Your mom would be extremely upset if you ended up in the hospital. Do you want that for her?"

"No," Lorelai replied reluctantly.

"And imagine how Belly – I mean, Tommy's mom would feel if the same thing happened to her son."

"He has real parents?" Her teacher gave Lorelai a stern look.

"Sorry! Sorry. I just don't want him bothering people. He picks on Stevie because Stevie won't fight back. And then I come in and – well, you know the rest."

"I know, but don't hit people! You need to come to me if there's a problem, got it?"

Lorelai nodded and both exited the bathroom. Stevie was waiting by the door. He pulled Lorelai around the corner.

"What…was that?" he asked shockingly.

"I dunno!"

"Hello? You're the one who did it! How did he fly like that?"

"I dunno."

"Did you feel anything before it happened?"

"I…dunno?"

Overlooking the two children, an older man stood by the girls' bathroom door. Little girls were running in and out of the bathroom, but didn't notice the man's presence. He ran his hand through his dark, black hair with silver flecks. In an instant, Stevie looked up in the man's direction.

"Who's that?" Stevie asked Lorelai while pointing to the older man.

"I dunno, but he's coming our way."

The two children started backing up, but suddenly stopped. Their feet were frozen in place. They struggled to move but were unsuccessful. First time all day, Lorelai was terrified.

"Mrs. Greyez!" she hollered.

The older man raised his right hand and the noise of children in the cafeteria grew louder and louder.

"Mrs. Greyez!" she screamed louder while holding on to Stevie.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help," the older man said calmly.

"Here to help?" Lorelai yelled over the noise.

"You can hear him?" Stevie asked his friend.

The older man smiled and snapped his fingers. The huge room of children, teachers, and other school faculty froze in place, as if everyone were participating in the game _Red Light, Green Light._ The two kids looked around the room in shock.

"Lorelai," the older man said, and her attention was focused on the man again in bewilderment. "Do you trust me?"

"What did you do to us? What did you do to Belly?" she mustered out.

Just then, the man disappeared and the room was returned back to its normal state. Lorelai and Stevie could freely move again. They looked at each other in confusion. Neither uttered a word, as the only thing that repeated in their minds was, "Do you trust me?"

- - - - - - - - - -

Lorelai arrived home and plopped herself on the couch. She opened her bag and took out a notebook. She flipped to the To-Do list and started marking off the items. _Informed teachers about the move, check. Packed up winter clothes, check. Moving to a God-forsaken place where the 90210 people dwell and roam free, and may cause many side effects such as emphysema, glaucoma, syphilis, sleep deprivation, heart attack, stroke, and/or death…all just one week away, CHECK!_

She closed the notebook and threw it on the coffee table. As she laid down on the couch, Lorelai felt some smooth paper under her neck. She reached for the paper and realized that it was one of the Angel Grove brochures. This particular brochure was entitled _The Youth of Angel Grove_. She opened it. A picture of the Angel Grove Youth Center took up the first two flaps. Lorelai shot up from lying down with an idea. She looked at her watch: 5:03pm. _All right, I have an hour 'til Ma gets home. Let's try a lil' some'n._

Lorelai pushed the notebook to the side and prepared the brochure flat on the coffee table. She focused her mind on the picture of the youth center by placing her hands on it and closing her eyes. Then she said aloud, "Angel Grove is where I enter. I travel now to the youth center."

In a blink of an eye, Lorelai transported herself to the youth center's parking lot. She landed face first on the pavement. A group of teenagers coming out of a car looked at Lorelai as she got up.

"What are _you_ lookin' at?" she barked. They walked away chuckling and Lorelai dusted herself off. _Aww crap! Gotta be invisible._ With a snap of her fingers, she went from being visible into stealth mode. _Whew! Close one…well, almost._

The youth center was filled with energy: teens working out in the gym corner, some others playing arcade games, and even a karate class being conducted on the main floor. _Ok, not bad!_ Lorelai looked to her left and saw a heavy-set man in a Hawaiian shirt serving drinks. _Food here, too? Ok, I'm sold – no wait! I'm suppose to hate this place. Think valley girls. Valley girls. Valley. girls. _

She was surprised to see a good chunk of people of the non-caucasoid persuasion. _Black people!_ One guy in particular was showing off his dance moves to a couple of girls by the juice bar. Smoothly gliding his hand past his flattop, he did a half split and pushed himself up to a standing position. Then he spun around and knocked over a tray of drinks that the man in the Hawaiian shirt was carrying.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Ernie!" the dancing teen said.

Drenched in various fruit juices, Ernie licked his lips a couple of times. "That's ok. Strawberry, mango, and a touch of coconut with pear…I think I've just come up with my new Passion fruit drink. Thanks, Zack!" The two girls laughed while Zack helped Ernie with the mess.

"Stylin' moves, Zack!" one girl said while giggling. _Ah ha! Gotcha valley!_, Lorelai thought. The girl was in head-to-toe pink, from the pink barrette in her golden brown hair, to the pink, empire-wasted, floral dress, all the way down tot he white sneakers with bubblegum pink trim. _Sickening._

"Hey Trini, you wanna go to the mall later?" the girl in pink asked.

"Sorry Kim, I can't. I promised Billy that I'd meet him after school to study. He's still traumatized about getting that "B" on the test," Trini answered. "What about Lia?"

"Can't. She's after the same cute denim jacket that I love, and I have to get it before she does. Oh! And this really cute bag that I saw to match…and these pair of shoes –"

"Weren't you just at the mall yesterday?" Zack asked. "I mean, don't you have a beam to balance or somethin'?"

"Like, for your information, I practiced yesterday. _Then_ me and Lia went to the mall."

Zack and Trini laughed.

"We didn't buy anything. That's why I have to go back today before she does," Kimberly continued. "She could be there right now! Bye guys!"

A pink blur passed Lorelai. Before the blur ran out the main room of the youth center, a tall, dark-haired guy in a green, sleeveless hoodie and black jeans stopped Kimberly in her tracks.

"Hey, hey! Why the rush?" the guy asked.

"Can't talk now, Tommy. Gotta get to the mall – wait! Can you give me a lift? I'll get ya that yin-yang necklace you were eyeing the other day."

Tommy chuckled. "Wow, this must be really important. Ok, ok, I'll take ya!"

_Wow, wow, wow. Valley girl and surfer dude. This burns. Burns real bad. I can't take this._

Lorelai cleared her disgusted thoughts of the couple and thought about home. Then she snapped her fingers twice and ended up at home again in visible form. Her mother came out of the kitchen and both were startled by each other.

"When did you come in?" Erica asked.

"Uh…just now," Lorelai responded.

"I didn't hear you come in, and where were you without your bag?"

"I just took a quick walk, Ma. Y'know, clear my head." _Get off the subject, get off the subject!_ "Moving's a big deal."

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

"And what are you doing home so early?" _D'oh! Bad question. Baaaad question._

"Got a ride from a co-worker. Is that satisfactory?" her mother joked.

Lorelai laughed and Erica headed back into the kitchen. Lorelai sat on the couch and stared at the same brochure that helped with her trip today. She thought back to the teenagers she secretly observed. After sitting on the couch for a few moments, Lorelai went to her room and continued packing. _I'm screwed._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It had been a week since the fight. Belly hadn't attended school. None of the children asked or complained about his absence, although every morning roll call consisted of whispers throughout the classroom when Belly did not respond to his name. Two things everyone knew about Belly: he was a bully, and he never missed a day.

"Lori, did you hurt him that bad?" Stevie whispered.

"Nah uh! He was fine after lunch, remember?" she whispered back. "I'll ask Chuchie what happened."

Lorelai waited until lunchtime to approach Chuchie. She and Stevie grabbed their lunches and sat beside Chuchie, Stevie on the left and Lorelai on the right. The redheaded boy was startled by their sudden appearance and held on tightly to his tiny train car. His pale, white skin turned bright red.

"Don't hurt me!" Chuchie exclaimed.

"I wouldn't hurt you. Just here to ask some questions," Lorelai assured.

Chuchie was hesitant and fumbled with his toy. Lorelai was afraid that the boy wouldn't talk, but then thought to continue with the little Spanish she knew.

"¿Los preguntas¿Un poco, por favor?"

Silence.

She sighed. _Here I am tryin' to get info from some kid and he just lost his best friend – WAIT! I got it!_ Lorelai turned away, blinked her eyes rapidly to create tears, and altered her face to look sorrowful. She turned back halfway, only showing her profile.

"Chuchie, I'm worried about Belly. I feel bad for fighting him and hurting him like that. I just wanna know if he's all right."

The boy finally looked at Lorelai. "He was fine after you hit him."

"But he hasn't been to school. And I wanna say 'sorry' for hitting him and stuff. I tried calling his house, but I couldn't get him. I feel bad, Chuchie. I just wanna say 'sorry.'" Lorelai sniffled and wiped her eyes of the fictitious tears. As she blinked her eyes again, a real tear rolled down her cheek. She took this opportune time to face Chuchie and look him in the eyes. After feeling the tear trickle down to her chin, she finally uttered, "Lo siento."

Chuchie placed his toy train on the table. Stevie slightly gasped. The train never parted from Chuchie, as the separation would bring upon catastrophic consequences. One afternoon, the class was coming back from a field trip. Chuchie's train accidentally fell in a puddle. Mrs. Greyez told him not to pick it up and that she will have to wash it off once they got back to school. The boy had a nervous breakdown: sporadic crying, teeth chattering, and had difficulty walking in a straight line. He got so dreadful that the teacher scrambled to find the nearest water fountain. She rinsed off the toy and was relieved to return it to Chuchie.

Stevie watched Chuchie carefully. The train had been on the table for a good ten seconds and the reddened boy was still silent. No wailing. No shuddering. Nothing. _Unbelievable,_ Stevie thought.

Chuchie stared at his toy and began to speak, "Tommy got adopted. La familia nueva se fueran a California."

"They went to California¿Dónde están?"

"No sé."

"He didn't tell you where he was going?"

"I don't know!" he replied loudly. "He never – he never – he was just gone. I thought we were friends. I thought he liked me!"

Chuchie was heaving from raising his voice. Eyes still on the train, his body began to shake. Stevie picked up the train and tried to hand it to the frail boy.

"Take it! Here!" Stevie demanded him.

"No! I can't remember n-n-nada when I'm p-playing with it. I'm f-f-fine," Chuchie stuttered.

"What are you trying to remember?" Lorelai asked calmly.

"Ms. Maggie said something about a 'Grove'…the place that Tommy moved to…something 'Grove'…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out," Lorelai consoled while stroking his back. "Now take your train before Mrs. G takes you to the nurse."

Chuchie grabbed his train from Stevie. "Anything but the nurse."

The three kids laughed heartily. That was the last time that that group would be together. The next day, Chuchie grew seriously ill. His episodes sprung up more often, as he would shake uncontrollably with or without the train. Two adverse weeks in the hospital before the weakened boy passed away. He never got to say "goodbye" to his foster brother Tommy.

- - - - - - - - - -

He glanced at the wall clock in the locker room. 4:42. After changing his pants, he pulled out a green tank top from his gym bag and slipped it on. With his green sweatband on his head, he took one final look in the full-length mirror. _You can do this. It's just a match…in a new town._ He sighed. _What a way to make a first impression._

Tommy packed up his belongings and headed to the main room of the youth center. The Martial Arts Expo was being held, and Tommy made it to the final match. He walked over to his designated warm-up area and began stretching.

On the other side, Jason was drinking from a water bottle as Zack gave him a few words of encouragement. With a stopwatch around his neck, Billy also gave Jason pointers, but more scientifically technical.

"English?" Zack asked his brainy friend.

"He said that his opponent is known for quick movement, so watch out for that," Trini interjected.

"Why can't you just say that, Billy?" Zack asked.

Billy pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of the nose. "I already did," he replied.

Trini giggled and turned her attention to Kimberly and Lia. The two girls were ogling Tommy, watching him do repetitious roundhouse kicks. Then he took a towel from his bag and wiped sweat off his brow.

"Who's the new guy?" Kimberly asked.

"I dunno, but he's good," Trini responded.

"And cute too," Lia and Kimberly said simultaneously.

As he dabbed his neck with the towel, Tommy took a long look around the room. He concentrated on his opponent for a bit and then continued his survey. Then he stopped.

Kimberly tapped Lia's shoulder with the back of her hand. "Oh my gosh, he's looking our way!"

"You mean he's looking my way," Lia corrected Kimberly.

"Please! Can we not go through with this again?" Trini pleaded.

But it was too late. Kimberly and Lia were in a fierce stare-down: eyes locked, lips pursed, and not a movement in sight. It would only last for a few seconds, or so Trini thought. But whenever the "stare-down" occurred, a chill moved through Trini's body. Disciplined yet calm was Trini's natural demeanor; to hear her two best friends bicker often over various things rattled her nerves, so much so that she took the role of "the moderator." She had a real knack for learning different types of vernacular and grafting that into her own wisdom. There was only one topic that she didn't have a complete grasp upon: boys. Only recently, Trini learned about the rule with ex-boyfriends and best girlfriends.

"Y'know? Matt's been looking pretty cute lately," Kim commented.

"Matt Freeland?" Lia asked.

"Yeah!"

"Ugh! Don't even mention that name in my presence! I think I'm going to, like, massively hurl!"

It was a school day morning and the three girls were by the lockers, getting ready to head off to homeroom. Kimberly was surprised for a moment at Lia's reaction, but she quickly became annoyed. "Wait, you dated him?"

"It wasn't even a whole date because he wanted me to go bowling."

Kimberly and Trini looked at each other in confusion. Lia continued, "I just had my nails done! Then he said that there were other things to do at the bowling alley, like arcade games and pool. And I was like, 'Um, hello! Those things and my nails don't go together.' And then he was like, 'So you just wanna go to the mall, then?' And I was, like, getting all excited until I noticed he was being sarcastic…"

Lia told the entire tale of the date at rapid speed. As she did, Kimberly tried to convince herself against being attracted to Matt. It was the only way that wouldn't break the rule.

"Kim, maybe it'll work out better for you," Trini encouraged.

Lia and Kimberly's eyes widened with shock. "Trini! I can't do that!" Kimberly exclaimed with a smile.

"Why not?"

The other two laughed. Lia walked over to Trini's left side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trini-san, that's completely against the rule," Lia replied.

"Trini-san? First, I'm Chinese, not Japanese. Second, what rule?"

"It's one of the many dating rules. Very high up on the list is the one with your girlfriend and your ex: the two shall never, ever date. Ever. Like, he's an ex for a reason, so why should your best friend go after him?"

"Lia, you didn't even finish you date, so how is he your 'ex' when you guys never began to be a couple? And Kimberly likes him, so –"

"Not anymore!" Kimberly interrupted. "It's just really weird now, y'know? And I trust Lia. She totally knows the good ones from the bad."

As Kimberly and Lia stood on each side of her, Trini looked at both in disbelief. "Well, as long as you two are fine with it, then I'm fine too."

Trini learned not only about "the rule," but how every relationship has their own boundaries. Different boundaries for different people, and no two are alike. She was able to respect their friendship even more, but still has a hard time understanding it. _How are two girls able to be friends when they constantly bicker over petty things?_ Trini frequently thought.

But now, she wished that her friends would say something. Anything. The "stare-down" was worse than any verbal quarrel, and it usually left Trini defenseless. _How do you moderate silence?_ She grew worried as the other two were staring at each other for a good while. Trini was unaware that Billy was behind her, stopwatch in hand, "A minute and 8 seconds…9…10…11…"

"And you're timing this because…?" Trini inquired.

"Oh! Female interactions fascinate me. The more abnormal, intricate, and especially obscure, the better for my empirical research."

"Admit it. You just want to see who'll blow up first."

Billy smiled. "All right. I guess their current situation has peaked my curiosity."

It was almost two minutes until one of the girls spoke. Trini let out a deep breath of relief. While Billy jotted down notes of his observation, Lia and Kimberly set the rules: No vying for attention directly or indirectly, i.e. retrieving a friend to ask the new guy about his thoughts on either girl. First girl that the guy asks out, wins.

Both girls shook hands on the terms and focused their attention towards Tommy and Jason bowing in the middle of the floor. As the match began, Lia and Kimberly had the same thought running through their minds: _I am sooo gonna beat her._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"You go check-in the bags. I'll watch the children."

It was an early morning at LaGuardia Airport: People rushing to get checked in, announcements blaring over the sound system, babies shrieking. Amelia and her husband proceeded to take care of their luggage while Erica supervised Lorelai and Stevie off to the side. Amongst the commotion, the two children were deadly silent. Erica remembered the last time her daughter was so melancholy. Lorelai was distraught when she thought she was losing her best friend to a foster home. Her grief subsided when seeing Stevie again the next school day. There will not be a "next school day."

Stevie's moving day crept up on Lorelai. The mere idea of moving out West was surreal to the two all summer. Lorelai frequently joked about the move not coming into fruition. But today was no joke. Today was baggage claims, departure times, flight numbers, and Stevie staring at Lorelai. _What's the boy thinking?_ Erica thought. She nudged Stevie and the little boy looked up. Erica motioned her head, using it like an index finger to point in Lorelai's direction. Stevie took a deep breath and turned to Lorelai.

"Lor?" Lorelai faced Stevie. He continued, "Here's the address we're moving to, y'know, to write to each other and stuff."

He handed her a small piece of paper with the address written very legibly.

Lorelai smirked, "This sure isn't your handwriting."

"It was Amelia's idea, the whole pen pal thing. And I didn't know the address, so…"

Stevie's voice trailed off and he glanced at his parents gathering ticket information. Then he looked back and forth between Lorelai and his parents. Lorelai. Parents. Address. Tickets. Friend. Family. Girlfriend. _Wait…girlfriend?_ he thought.

"'So'…what?" Lorelai inquired.

Stevie noticed his parents approaching them. _I need more time_, he thought. After hearing Lorelai repeatedly call his name for attention, he whipped his body around to face her. He stood there. His chest heaved. His heart fluttered. He wiped the sweat of his hands onto his jeans. He took a step closer to Lorelai. He paused. He took a breath. He hesitated. He kissed her. Lips to lips. 1.5 seconds. It was over.

Lorelai, Erica, Amelia, and Frank stood there in shock. Stevie finally relaxed and began to speak.

"Lori, I –"

SMACK! Stevie's left cheek was reddened by Lorelai's blow. This surprised him greatly, especially the sight of tears running down her face.

"Lorelai!" her mother yelled, but her yell was just a faint cry as the little girl ran through bustling travelers, through the automatic doors, and out to the main sidewalk of the terminal. Out of breath, Erica found Lorelai and grabbed the child by the arm. The mother spun Lorelai around, ready to lash out on the child. Instead, she stoically said, "Let's go home."

The two walked to the bus stop leaving Stevie's address on the pavement, torn in little pieces.

- - - - - - - - - -

"We are now approaching Angel Grove. The current temperature is 69 degrees, clear and sunny. We will be landing in approximately 10 minutes. The time is now 7:38am Pacific Time. Please make sure that your seat and tray is in the upright position, and thank you for choosing American Airlines."

Lorelai awoke to the announcement in the aircraft. Still groggy, she pushed the button to adjust her seat and unexpectedly got a jolt to the head. She grumbled.

"Did you have a good sleep?" her mother asked.

"No," Lorelai replied grumpily.

Erica stared at her, waiting for elaboration.

Lorelai sighed, and then continued. "I had the dream again."

"And this is the second time this week?"

"Third. Had a nap on our way to the airport, remember?"

Lorelai paused. She pondered her next words carefully, afraid of another stalemate on the "Stevie" issue. Every time the issue was brought forth, accusations, whether explicit it implicit, were rampant between mother and daughter: Why did both families lose contact with each other? Who was to blame? _Not this time_, Lorelai thought. _Get more bees with honey…_

"I feel bad, Ma. Y'know, for breaking up you and Ms. Amelia. If I hadn't –"

"Lori, you did not break us up."

"After I hit him, you wouldn't return any of Ms. Amelia's calls. And now I know why."

"Enlighten me."

"I was still mad. Angry. Furious about the whole situation. Then Ms. Amelia calls and what were you supposed to say? That your daughter was sorry for something that she really wasn't sorry for? It's not like you to lie, and it's not like you to omit the truth, which is a lie in itself –"

"Lori –"

"What I'm saying is that you were ashamed. Of my actions, that is. But you couldn't face Ms. Amelia, so then she stops calling, you feel worse, and I've been oblivious to the whole thing until just now."

"Lori, her and I not talking have nothing to do with what happened with you and Stevie. We just…lost contact with each other. And don't think that I'd ever be ashamed of you. How could you say something like that?"

_Don't get annoyed. Don't do it. Stay on track_, Lorelai thought while breathing deeply.

She ignored her mother's question and said, "Since I feel bad for my actions, I really wanna get in contact with Stevie again to apologize. Do you remember where in California they moved to?"

"Los Angeles…or was is Los Alamitos?"

"Ma!" Lorelai whined.

"No, no, it had to be Los Angeles because Melia was all excited to go to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, but that's in Hollywood and she always did get those two cities mixed up –"

"Ma!"

"Los Angeles," Erica confirmed.

Making progression on making amends perked up Lorelai's spirits. Across the aisle, a woman with a newborn transformed into the older man with the silver-flecked, dark hair.

"This was a very nice flight. Next time, try first class. Best steak ever," the older man mentioned to Lorelai.

The teen did a double take. "Wiz! What are you doing here?" she asked under her breath.

Erica asked her whom she was talking to, but Lorelai quickly pretended she was talking to the infant, speaking in baby talk and making cute faces. Erica smiled at the newborn and then looked out the airplane window to view Angel Grove's landscape.

Lorelai gathered herself again, as she still wasn't used to random visits from the Wiz. That was what she named him as a younger child, for his real name was too complicated to pronounce. The Wiz usually metamorphosed into different bodily forms for his appearances in the earthly realm. It was essential that Lorelai be properly trained to use her magical powers. This visit was going to be the very last of the frequent appearances, as their meetings would be farther and farther apart than she was used to. He believed that Lorelai was ready to further her magical knowledge on her own, but the Wiz's did not reveal this to her on the plane. Instead, he asked her telepathically, "Los Angeles?"

Lorelai answered back in the same manner, "Yeah! Ain't that cool?"

The Wiz smiled and tapped his thigh. Just then, a stewardess walked down the aisle to Lorelai's seat, magazines in hand, and asked Lorelai to put up her tray. Then, the stewardess clumsily dropped the magazines on the teen's lap.

"Oh! I'm sorry! You know what? Why don't you keep that one, ok?" the stewardess suggested while giving Lorelai a magazine. As she walked off, Lorelai looked at the cover in her hands: _Angel Grove Teen,_ with one of the smaller titles being _Karate-chop your way to the latest craze!_

Lorelai smirked. "Cute."

She looked to the Wiz for validation, but the mother with her infant returned in his place. Just as Lorelai was about to reach the Wiz telepathically, the PA system blared, "Prepare for landing."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The Angel Grove Junior High cheerleading team wrapped up for the day in the gym. On the way to the locker room, Kimberly asked Lia, "Still up for studying with Trini and Billy?"

"Yeah, for sure!" Lia replied. She hesitated, but then continued to speak. "There's something I gotta tell you."

Kimberly looked worried, but Lia assured her that there wasn't anything wrong. Suddenly, Kimberly became anxious. _Is it a deep secret? About someone else? About herself?_ Thoughts were running through Kimberly's head as she hurriedly changed from her practice attire. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and plopped her tiny self on the bench. Fully dressed and ready to go.

"New record!" Lia laughed. She finished dressing and the two walked out of the school building. They walked through the park, with trees on both sides of the paved walkway. On their way to the youth center, Kimberly feverishly waited to hear the news. Lia was cautious at first. She didn't know how Kimberly would take it, but then reflected upon her first day at the junior high school. How the two initially met.

Mrs. Donowitz's language arts class was adorned in red and pink paper hearts. They were plastered everywhere, from the desks and the chalkboard to the front and back doors and the windows. She had a festive spirit around the holidays, but that did not bode well with Lia that day. Lia was saddened to move to Angel Grove days before her favorite holiday; all of her potential Valentines were back in Los Angeles. It wasn't enough that the teacher's enthusiastic nature perturbed Lia, but now Mrs. Donowitz was asking the students to pull out notebooks for their new journals. The teacher reminded them that they would need a separate notebook for their note-taking in addition to having a journal specifically for the class.

Kimberly noticed Lia was one notebook short. She stared at her neon pink, spiral notebook decorated in neon pink, plastic feathers on the cover. With both of the girls' seats diagonal from each other, Kimberly stretched to Lia and tapped her on the back with the notebook. The offering was received but left Lia confused.

"Thanks, but what about your journal?" Lia asked Kimberly.

"Don't worry. Billy's got plenty of notebooks. Have you seen his bookbag?"

Lia asked who Billy was and Kimberly pointed him out. Lia stared at the boy's beige-colored bag and chuckled. "Wow! Talk about a color bore!" she reacted.

"I know! I've been telling him the same thing!" Kimberly responded enthusiastically.

"Like, if his bag were, say, the color of your shoes, which are fabulously cute by the way –"

"Thanks!" Kimberly interrupted.

"Anytime! So yeah, that dark brown color with his skin would look totally awesome!"

Lia smiled when recalling her instant connection. Kimberly waved a hand in Lia's face.

"Hello? You still with me?" Kim asked.

"Sorry, I was just remembering the time we first met."

Kimberly gasped and thought, _Is her secret about me? No wait, that makes no sense. Is the secret going to affect me? _"Because…?"

"Because I've never had a friend like you. Anytime I moved, girls either thought I was dumb or stuck up, or dumb and stuck up. Not you."

Lia stepped in Kim's path and faced her. She took a deep breath and quickly said, "I have magical powers. I've had them ever since I was a kid, but don't know if anyone else has these powers. Maybe just me, I dunno. But I didn't tell anyone about my powers because they'd think I'm some freak of nature and they'd either wanna stay away from me or turn me into the authorities for scientific tests or something, and I can't have that happen or else I'm doomed."

Kim's mouth dropped. "No. way."

"Way."

For a demonstration, Lia opened her left hand, palm faced upward, and pointed at it with her right index finger. Suddenly, a pink barrette appeared in her hand.

"Hey! That's mine!" Kimberly said in amazement.

"Just don't tell anyone about my powers, please?" Lia pleaded.

"Not even the rest of the guys?"

"Ok, I'll tell them when we get to the youth center. But this can't leave the 6 of us. Ever."

"Lia, I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Your secret is safe with me."

The two friends hugged and then continued walking. Lia was relieved. Her hiding that secret was like a vulture picking apart a dead animal's flesh until every bone was exposed. _Friends don't hide from friends,_ Lia thought. _It's the worst thing that a GF could do. Mess with trust._

_- - - - - - - - - - _

Step. Step. Left. Right. Reflection…checks for blemishes. Step. Step. Slows down. Fix the face. Smiles to the left. Smiles to the right. Turns the corner. _Ah! It's Tommy…with Kim…and Trini? He's…being friendly. Yeah! That's it!_

Bulk and Skull bumped into Lia as they were running away from Tommy.

"That kid's nuts!" Bulk exclaimed to Lia.

"Yeah! Nuts!" Skull echoed.

"What did he do?" Lia asked.

"He nearly KILLED US!" Bulk answered.

"KILLED US!" Skull echoed.

Bulk grabbed Skull by the jacket sleeve and yanked him down the corridor. As the two scurried away, Lia wondered how a big guy like Bulk could get scared of anyone. Skull was understandable, as his tiny frame was tossed around numerous times by Bulk. Lia sighed. _He's even more awesome for scaring off the posers. He's…different, and Kim won._ A tear rolled down Lia's cheek. "Oh great, now I'm crying over a guy. This, like, never happens," she mumbled to herself.

As she opened her locker, a pair of textbooks fell onto the floor. WHAM! This caught Tommy's attention and he glanced in her direction. He rushed over to help. He picked up the books, glanced at her again, and placed one of the books in her locker.

"Do you mind?" Tommy asked.

"Oh no! Go right ahead," Lia answered with a huge smile.

"You look very familiar…I didn't catch your name."

"Lia! The name's L-Lia." _Girl, calm down. And stop smiling so much. No, that's too little. Not so much teeth. SAY SOMETHING!_ "I remember you from the Expo," she finally blurted out.

"Yeah! Hope I didn't freak ya out by staring. You just remind me of someone…"

"I guess I have one of those faces," Lia said while laughing nervously. _So he **was** looking at me…I knew it!_

"Did you grow up in Angel Grove?"

"Grow up? No, no. I moved here from L.A. a little over a year ago."

"You're from L.A.? So am I!"

"See? We probably, like, saw each other occasionally on Third or Melrose."

Throughout their interaction, Kimberly was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe how quickly Tommy's attention was redirected towards Lia. _The guy was flippin' around to scare off those losers for me, and all of a sudden he's –_ Kimberly stopped her train of thought and her eyes widened.

"Kim…Kim! What are you thinking?" Trini asked, but it was too late. Kimberly was already marching towards Tommy and Lia in frustration. She overheard Tommy saying, "I'll be lookin' for ya!"

"Totally! You do that!" Lia responded.

Tommy said his goodbyes to the girls and gave one final look at Lia. _Where do I know her from, _he thought._ Eh, maybe just the old neighborhood._

Lia grinned from ear to ear, but then was spun around by an infuriated Kimberly.

"What was that about?" Kimberly angrily asked.

"What are you talking about?" Lia asked.

The two argued back and forth: Kimberly with her accusations of Lia stealing attention that was "against the rules" and Lia denying any foul play. Trini looked on, worrying about the scene they were creating in the hallway.

"Y'know, I didn't think that I had to mention 'no magic' in the rules!" Kimberly yelled.

Lia grabbed her arm and violently pulled Kimberly closer to her. "Kim! Could you be any louder?" she whispered.

Trini walked up behind Kimberly and said, "Yeah, Kim. Take it easy." She then noticed Kimberly arm growing a bright red in the spot where Lia had her grasp. "You too, Lia."

Lia released Kim reluctantly and said, "I can't believe you would think I'd use my you-know-what to get some guy. Y'know what…I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I honestly thought I could trust my own best friend with my secret, but you were just waiting to use it against me all this time."

"And I honestly thought I could trust you," Kimberly replied coldly.

Lia shook her head in disgust and walked away. Kimberly walked away in the opposite direction. The bell rang. Trini stood there in dismay. _I hope I'm wrong about those two._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

4th Period Algebra. As the students chatted amongst themselves before the ring of the bell, Tommy sauntered into class and slid himself into a front-row seat. The teacher pulled out the roster and acknowledged his new student with a nod. Suddenly, the sound of heels violently contacting the linoleum floor caught Tommy's attention. He looked towards the door and in came Lia, strutting angrily past Tommy. She took a seat beside him, adjusted her silver sequined sandal, and whipped out a mirror and hairbrush.

"Nice nails," Tommy mentioned to her.

Lia was startled by the comment, as she was used to hearing that compliment from females. She was so startled that she turned towards him in the middle of a brush stroke. Realizing her awkward position, she hurriedly put down the brush, but a piece of her perfectly quaffed, pulled-back hair shot upward like a peacock's feathers. Not noticing her hair, she smiled and batted her eyes. Lia was about to thank him when Tommy pointed out her displaced hair. Her eyes rolled upward to take a peek, but her hand discovered it first. She let out a moan as her head fell forward on the desk, buried into her folded arms.

"You never saw me. This never happened," Lia said to Tommy, her words muffled by her arms.

Tommy chuckled. "I don't know what Matt was talking about. You're funny…in a really dramatic sorta way."

Lia quickly picked up her head. Her hair was more mussed than before. "Matt? Matt who?"

"I didn't catch his last name, but he's in my Earth Science class. We got to talkin'. He said I'd really like the girls here, and I told him that I met a few already and said your name. Man! That guy totally flipped, talkin' about some date and your nails, and how they don't mix…"

"I can't believe that jerk!" Lia responded in an elevated tone. "How could someone go around and say bad things about someone else when they don't even give –" Lia stopped short. Her face went blank. Then she continued in her mind, _– give the person a chance. _

"Don't give what?" Tommy asked.

"Kim," Lia said softly, still in her daze.

"They don't even give Kim?"

The bell rang. Lia gathered herself again, and then asked, "Say, you remember Kimberly, right? The girl you helped out today?"

"Yeah! What about her?"

"Guys don't usually go through all of those kicks and punches just for anyone, especially the new kid on the block."

"Well –"

"And Kim thought that was, like, so sweet of you. She wants to meet up with you after school. You up to it?"

"Well –"

"C'mon! You are so totally into her, it's almost –"

"Lia!" Tommy interrupted. "I'd really like to meet up with her."

Lia grinned and sat up in her chair. She took a deep breath. The air smelled differently. Lighter. Whenever a burden has been lifted, everything seems so much better. Air is fresher, class is faster, handwriting gets neater, hair holds better…

"Ms. Jackson, your…," the teacher said while motioning to her head. Lia looked up. She closed her eyes and her head fell forward on the desk. THUMP! "Ow."

-

4th Period Lunch. Two salads and two fruit drinks, but one hand was scribbling down work for the next class. Trini, with a novel in hand, watched Kimberly work quietly. Too quietly. Trini turned the page. She turned another page. The crispness of turning pages rang loudly in Kimberly's ear.

"Whatcha readin'?" Kimberly asked.

"The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton." Trini paused for a brief moment to think about her explanation of the synopsis. "It's about a plague that has hit a small town, and a few scientists from around the country were brought in to stop it. Unfortunately, the solution to the problem would have been reached quicker if certain people weren't set in their ways."

"You're telling me! Can you believe Lia?! She'd really cheat just to get a guy. Like she doesn't get all of them already," Kimberly said sarcastically.

_Great, that completely went over her head_, Trini thought. _Try again._ "Y'know? I'd bet that she planned this whole thing from the beginning."

"Exactly!" Kimberly replied emphatically.

"And she's smart too! She pretended to act nervously around Tommy just to catch you off guard."

"Exactly."

"The stammering, the odd facial expressions, the awkward pauses…all perfectly planned out. Almost too perfect."

"Exactly?"

Kimberly looked down at her notebook as she thought back to the early morning scene. Then she looked at Trini with a smirk. "Ok Trini, I got the point. It's just…it seems as if she always gets the guy, and I'm…I'm just…"

"Jealous?"

"I guess I always felt this way, and now I feel awful. She really likes him."

Kimberly looked at her watch and started gathering her belongings. She insisted that they catch up with Lia before their next class. Kimberly was already by the exit when she noticed Trini still by the table. Trini looked down at her half-eaten salad. The carrots glistened. She sighed.

"What's up? You comin'?" Kimberly hollered at her friend.

Trini looked back and then packed up quickly. As she packed away her novel, one of the pages gave her finger a paper cut. She shook out her hand in frustration.

"Trini! We gotta get goin'!"

Trini put on her bookbag, grabbed both trays of food, and headed for the exit. She watched the food as it slid into the trash can, watched the juice pour out of the glasses, and took a final look in the trash before leaving the Youth Center. Her stomach grumbled.

-

The bell rang. Doors flew open as students flooded the hallways. Lia pushed herself through the crowd and was surprised to see Kimberly and Trini by her locker. Surprised and excited.

"There's something I gotta tell you!" Lia exclaimed to Kimberly.

"No, wait! I have to tell you something first!"

"Kim, I really think I should go first. It's totally urgent."

"Lia, I'm trying to be –"

"Kim's really sorry for being jealous and calling you a cheater," Trini interrupted.

"Really?" Lia asked Kimberly.

"Of course! You're my best friend. You would never do that to me, but I was too mad to see that at the time. Now I know that you really like Tommy, and I think you guys will be great together."

"No we won't…because he wants to meet you after school at the Youth Center!"

Kimberly's mouth dropped. "No way! But I thought –"

"I still think he's awesome, but I think he'd be even more awesome with you. I've been such a guy hog lately, and it's time for me to stop."

"So what about Matt?" Trini asked Lia.

"Oh, he's still a major jerk."

The three girls laughed. Lia and Kimberly embraced each other, and then squealed uncontrollably with excitement. Jason, Zack, and Billy walked up to Trini in confusion.

"There you are! You guys ditched back there at lunch. And now we see why," Zack said to Trini.

"What's up with them?" Jason asked.

"Oh nothing. Just back to normal," she answered.

Just then, Zack and Jason started imitating Lia and Kimberly: talking in high-pitched voices, hopping around, and fanning their faces with their hands. Lia and Kimberly noticed the guys' antics and jovially pushed them around. Billy laughed, then turned to Trini. She was more silent than usual. "Are you all right?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Billy. I'm fine," Trini responded without looking at him. She gave Billy a half-smile and nodded in confirmation. As she looked at the cheerful bunch, her stomach grumbled.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Mom?"

Erica grabbed Lia and swayed from side to side in an immense hug. The mother whispered little comments in her daughter's ear: "I've missed you so much," "You're so beautiful," "I can't believe you're here," and so on. Emmett grinned and shut the door.

A late Saturday morning in the new Jackson house brought forth a family reunion. Almost. Mother and daughter parted and Lia walked further into the bare living room. Her heart was racing. A new house, a new mother, and now new ideas for designing the abode. She rattled off a bunch of things with her back towards her parents. Emmett walked towards his wife and asked, "So where's Lorelai? You've her hidden quite well."

Erica was reluctant to respond. She closed her eyes and quickly said under her breath, "She went out for a walk."

"She WHAT?!" Emmett responded softly while pulling Erica closer to the door.

"I was in the shower earlier and Lor was asking a bunch of questions about the house. She was agitating me, partly for the questions and partly because I just couldn't hear her with all that water. I'm guessing she snuck in a question about going outside, and in my haste I must have agreed."

"So your own daughter tricked you."

Erica's eyes popped open. "Don't start with me, Em. Besides, she couldn't have gone far."

Lia noticed her parents were in a heavy conversation. She turned to them and asked, "Who couldn't have gone far?"

-

Lorelai stood outside of the Youth Center. _No matter what, I'm going to be nice. Give these people a chance._ She took a deep breath and entered the building. As she approached the Juice Bar, some people whispered and gave her odd stares. Lorelai ignored them and took a seat at the bar.

"Hello, my good man. I'd like to have a strawberry smoothie, please," she asked Ernie.

"You got it," Ernie responded with his back turned. He turned around to prepare the drink when he stood in shock and stared at Lorelai. "Wow. You look…um…different."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Lorelai asked in her distinct New York City accent.

"You sound different too!"

The ranger teens were at a nearby table to overhear the altercation.

"Is that Lia?" Jason asked.

"Can't be! She'd never be caught dead wearing that," Kimberly responded.

Billy said, "I think the situation is accelerating beyond the measures of containment. In order to rectify –"

"Trini?!" Zack interrupted.

"We should go over there to check things out," Trini translated.

Tommy told the others that he'd watch their belongings. The rest went over to the juice bar and couldn't believe their eyes. There they were, watching who they thought was Lia get into a heated argument with the nicest man in town. Ernie wouldn't hurt a fly unless the fly was hurting his fruits.

"Whoa, L! Chill out. Why you getting' so mad?" Zack asked Lorelai.

"And who are you?" she asked back.

Kimberly ignored the question and said, "Oh! Ok, I get it now. You're dressing totally out of style and talking way different just to play a joke on us. K, girl. You're good!"

"So you think my clothes are a joke?" Lorelai asked angrily.

"C'mon! You're in California in a flannel shirt that's way too big for you. Give it up, Lia. Joke's over!"

"Yes, Lia. You can concede now," Billy added.

"Lia? Who's Lia? And who on earth are you? Y'know what? Forget it. You guys are 'totally' wack! I'm out." Lorelai bolted out of the youth center, leaving Ernie and the others stunned.

Jason remarked sarcastically, "That went well."

-

Lorelai rang the doorbell. Her father opened the door and gave her a big hug. Her head was buried into his chest. They hadn't seen each since she was an infant, and he was relieved to have her in his arms again.

"So glad to see you, Lori," Emmett said. "I've missed you."

"Who's Lia?" Lorelai asked coldly.

He looked down at her. His mouth slightly parted and he'd forgotten to breathe. Emmett finally let out some air and stepped to the right. Lia and Lorelai's eyes met. Both froze.

_I can't breathe, _Lorelai thought.

_I can't breathe, _Emmett thought.

_I can't breathe, _Erica thought.

"Oh my gosh! I can finally breathe!" Lia said in excitement. She ran to Lorelai and kissed her sister on both cheeks. She continued rapidly, "I've always wanted a sister. A big sis to teach me the ways of a woman, or a younger sis so that I can impart my wisdom, but a twin sis is majorly better than both of those. Oh my gosh. My goosebumps are getting goosebumps. This is going to be totally awesome!"

"Oddly enough, I understood all of that," Lorelai said.

"See?! This is going to be a start of a beautiful, twin-tastic friendship!"

The family gathered around the table, the coffee table, for a Chinese dinner. The main course? Family-sized Pork Lo Mein. The food was truly welcomed after a hard day of unpacking, assembling, and attempted assembling.

"Y'know? This is kinda nice. Even with the cartons, the dust, and sans a real dinner table, we're all finally together," Lorelai said.

"And we finally get to live in the same place!" Lia added.

Erica shot a glare at her husband but remained silent. Emmett remained silent as well, slurping the rest of his lo mein.

Lorelai's eyes shifted between her mother and father. "What's up? What's going on?"

Emmett put down his carton and delivered the promotion news. Slowly. Carefully. He enunciated every word to make everything as clear as possible. There was a silence.

"So…we moved here for nothing?" Lorelai asked him.

"Like I said, I wanted you and Lia to be together –"

"We could have been together in New York!" Lorelai hollered.

"Don't raise your voice at your father!" Erica scolded.

Lorelai paused. Her chest heaved. "Here I thought that we were getting back together as a family, when in fact we just…we just traveled 2000 miles for nothing."

"Actually, it's more like 2500 miles…" Lia mentioned. Lorelai grunted at her. Lia bowed her head.

Lorelai continued, "And I'm just gonna take a wild guess that no one knew about this before the move."

Silence.

"Thought so." Lorelai threw down her chopsticks and ran upstairs to her room.

-

A few moments later, there was a knock on Lorelai's bedroom door. No answer. Lia let herself in. Her sister was on the bed reading _Angel Grove Teen_.

"That's a good issue. The crew stopped by the youth center to take pictures of the guys during a karate class. I think it's on page 26."

Lorelai didn't look up from the magazine.

"And you know what else they mention? Shopping! It might not be your thing, but there are lots to do at the mall. Maybe sometime tomorrow I can take you."

Page turned.

"Better idea! I can help you decorate your room! We can ask Dad to get the paint while we shop for some cool New York-looking stuff…Ooo! A big street sign with your name on it would look totally fab!"

"Ooo Ooo! Here's a better idea: Let's not and say we didn't!" Lorelai finally replied.

Lia grew annoyed. "Look. This whole moving thing isn't my fault, so don't take it out on me."

"Really? Well, let's see…Dad's moving back to New York, Mom certainly could have found any job in New York, and I sure as hell didn't wanna move outta New York. So that just leaves **you**."

Lorelai went back to her magazine and violently turned the pages. Lia frowned. _She's right, _Lia thought. _What else can I say?_ She walked out of her sister's room and entered her own across the hall. She plopped herself onto the mattress. Lorelai wiped a tear from her eye. So did Lia.


End file.
